Desert of woes hits by flood

In 2000, Rajasthan's 26.17 crore people faced great tragedy of drought. Farmers were reduced to daily-wage earners at relief camps. Cattle are left to die because there is no fodder. And the administration feared that water riots may break out. BBC wrote at that time: Even civil war over water can't be ruled out. Now there is no rain in Cherapunji (Assam) but desert Rajasthan has flooded: Kalyug hai kalyug! Will water be got on ration card? No disaster management but flood politics in.

"A child consoles her mother, as they lost 24 members of their family in flood waters, in Barmer, Rajasthan." Caption below the panic photo published in the indianexpress.

Noble prize winner the economist Amartya Sen recently described India as an archipelago of Silicon Valleys in a sea of Sub-Saharan Africa. Far Rajasthan, where proud camels still haul water tanks between stick-and-stone villages separated by ever-shifting sand dunes, is as invisible to the world as India gets

One 'Prince' became 'Aakhon ka taara' when he felt in a narrow deep dry well. But what about more than 48 dies and so many injured when a water tank collapsed at a village fair in Kama town of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, about 225 kilometres from Jaipur. Crowd of villagers are busy to entertain the wrestling game to sit on the tank. At the time of disaster every kind of mischief and black-marketing is possible. Victims are looted. Now days, biggest robbers are politicians. Natwar, his son Oil for Food defamed Jagat and other politicians are busy to take the political advantage of the collapse tragedy.

In Rajasthan we can find every where scientific Vastukala based old construction of palaces and havelis with well and water tanks. The Elephant Festival of jaipur, Camel Festival of Bikaner, Kite Festival on Makar sankranti, Desert Festival of Jaisalmer, Marwar Festival of jodhpur, Pushkar Fair and ) Baneshwar Fair make the invisible Rajasthan visible and attraction for world over tourists.

Of all heritage structures the most mysterious are step-wells, dark, secret places leading deep into the earth to water, the source of life. Such as the magnificent fort at Kumbhalgarh in Mewar, a complex of royal apartments, temples, storerooms, houses and water tanks are the most visible example of Vastu.

Now you can't see the Rajasthani ladies lovely style of balancing the water pots on their head as well as their colorful dresses. Sadly presently most flood hited Jaisalmer city like any other that has stood against the ravages of time for almost a millennium is now endangered by tourist invasions and an increase in rainfall, causing the soft yellow sandstone to crumble. Barmer, Flash floods in Rajasthan continue to play havoc as the normal life in several parts … After 33 years such a devastating flood has hit the place and it has ruined almost everything. Rains and flooding have killed more than 300 people in Rajasthan. Gypsum below the sandy surface is preventing brownish flood. Draining out floodwater in this Rajasthan’s desert district has become a headache for the authorities.

We can see flood politics in floody states including Rajasthan. Financial support of Central Govt is to follow 'Munh dekh tilak'. Why Sonia Gandhi being a polical party president went alongwith Home Minister in flood hit Andhra and with Defense Minister in Gujarat and announced package to cover flood damage: 'Andrha bante revadi, apanon ke dey'. When the same was happened in TN at the time of T-sumani, there was a controversy arises.

Five members of a family sank in the flooded river of Rajasthan. It was sad news. One TV channel kept itself engaze for three days to show interview with one male and another female member or relative of that family. Collection for that family was also going on. But what they are doing for others? Amir Khan, Arundhati Roy and their Narmada Bachao Andolan are under ground. Secular Media especially electronic channels is only for criticizing without accountability as Sonia Gandhi has all powers without accountability. We should ask central government why it hesitates to say that naxalites are terrorists and terrorists who so ever not our brothers? In the past at the time natural disaster bollywood, media and NGOs came forward. They collected fund and material to help the affected people. Now they are dumb. They can go Pakistan to help the earthquake victims though Pakistan cancelled their Visas. Javed Akhtar was among them. It is good but what they do here? They are only active to attack Gujarat. We have been habitual to see every aspect as secular and non-secular. Imported media, Western culture and Western leadership are dear to us.

Time is nearer when water will be got on ration card. After 60 years of independence we could not provide even basic need of 'water' to our people. 'Sweet water' may be blind faith. But for not providing water properly in Tamil Nadu, execuse should not be that although it sits at the edge of an ocean it remains permanently short of water because desalination is a very expensive business. Even our Capital Delhi has water problem. They have billing as per metre for consumed water.

No disaster management available if there is flood or drought. Flood disaster management is prepared but would not be workable for the next flood. In Rajasthan the excuse is that it is a desert.  It is because most Indians live with no knowledge of the rest of the world that they do not realise that in most other countries even the poorest people get water out of taps in their homes. Water is not a luxury but a fundamental need and right.

Kalyug hai Kalyug: We are walking by head instead of legs. Every thing is ulta pulta. 'Swaraj hamara janm sidh adhikar hai' and 'Tum mujhe khoon do main tumhen azadi doonga' now become terrorists in NCERT books. 'Idol drinking milk' may be blind faith but how could be good faith that Durga drank wine? We drove Britishers and became Independent in 1947 but after 57 years to forget 1857 we are again in the grip of an Italian origin. Instead of blocking blogs of terrorists, naxalites and separatists our secular government blocked the blogs of Hindu organizations which were against terrorism and criticized Sonia. Now patriotism also becomes the subject of choice. Arjun and Lalu declared no compulsion to sing 'Vandematram'. Banners and hoardings of Corrupt, dynastic rule adopter, party loyalty changers, greedy and opportunists are in 'Ganeshotsav'. Boy arrested who sheared hairs of his Sikh fellow in Jaipur. To take advantage of this incident one tainted Sikh complained in Jamshedpur that police sheared his hair. To give contiueity this hair of a Sikh boy sheared in Kuruchhetra. This is a conspiracy to widen the rift between Sikhs and non Sikhs.   

By Premendra Agrawal